Women are the backbone of any household and as the economy continues to tumble they are also closing the gender gap by joining their male counterparts in becoming the best business innovators and income generators. The capacity for formal employment is very low such that it is better to run a business even from home and generate more than sufficient income. Entrepreneurship pays off but one has to be passionate about their business and commit to making it a success.

Many women want to become entrepreneurs but are failing to figure out what type of business to run. Even the most motivated women entrepreneurs can struggle with deciding on the right business idea.  For some budding entrepreneurs, ideas flow freely but never get off the ground.  For others, ideas are vague and sketchy so are discarded and never fully explored. Deciding on the right business idea has as much to do with creating a business plan and carrying out a feasibility study.  These will go a long way into helping you know whether you are on the right course or not. If you want to become self-employed but are not sure what type of business you want to start it helps to consider the following:

  • What do you want or need to get out of the business?
  • What do you like to do?
  • What are you good at doing?
  • What would you like to learn to do?

Below are some business ideas you can implement.

Cake Baker

This is a profitable business idea for women. Cake baking is usually easier to run as a home based business and this means that you do not need to invest large sums of money to start your business. You may have been using that family recipe only for home purposes but this opportunity can help you generate income whilst people spread the word on how wonderful your special recipe is. The demand for cakes is large and as long as your recipe is unique you can sell for birthdays, baby showers, anniversaries, housewarming parties, bachelorette parties, retirement parties, year end company parties and so on.

Event Planner

There are those of us who are just good at planning and pay attention to detail. Yes I mean the perfectionists who keep on keeping on until they are satisfied that the standard they want has been reached. Event planning may work out perfectly for you. You can plan weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, conferences and handle all details which relate to location, budgeting aspects, lodging, decorations, entertainment, food ,beverages, transport, activities and invitations amongst others. Event planning is a good and profitable business idea for women in Zimbabwe. 

Broilers Chickens

This project needs a lot of supervision and time investment otherwise you are going to make a loss. If you are a stay at home mom then time will not be a problem. The all-time positive of this business idea is that the market is ever in need because meat is an integral part of Zimbabwean meals. The demand for chicken meat is very huge in Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans love chicken! Broilers need a lot of warmth and a constant clean supply of water and feed, which is quite easy to provide for a committed individual. The market ranges from functions, individuals to even supplying to butcheries at wholesale price depending on the scale of your business. Read more about starting a broiler chicken business plan in Zimbabwe. 

Baby Planner

Women are usually known to be gentle and caring. To add on its only natural that they adore babies due to that maternal love they have. Then it is a very simple business for one to be handy and helpful whilst earning an income. Baby planners can target the expecting families or young career oriented families who need help with consulting and birth preparation. This business idea is very suitable for women. 

Layers Chicken Business

There is a huge demand for eggs in Zimbabwe. Eggs are considered an alternative cheap source of proteins. Almost every household consumes boiled/fried eggs. Zimbabweans consume eggs worth over $100 million every year. Layers egg production business in Zimbabwe is easy to start and operate, and the business will give you daily income as the chickens will lay eggs every day. The good thing about this business idea is that you can start small and grow your business overtime. Read more about starting a layers business in Zimbabwe and the business plan. 

Birthday Party Planner

To succeed in this business you should simply be a natural lover of latest trends in terms of what is really attracting at kids parties, youth parties and various age groups. You may choose to focus on a particular age group, for example kids between the age of four years to twelve. If you also good at planning, organizing and execution of all aspects of a party then it becomes so much easier to run this type of business. This is a business idea most women can implement. 

Tuckshop

You can open a tuck-shop as a woman and earn a lot income. Products to sell in your tuckshop include basic products like sugar, bread, cooking oil, flour, eggs, snacks, salt, mazoe, sweets, soap etc. These are products which are used everyday by people, thus you are guaranteed of making sales every day. You will be getting your supplies from wholesalers who are in your area. Since you are buying in bulky, the prices will be cheaper, thus you will be able to put a markup and get profit. You should be good at customer service so that people will always come back to buy from you.Most women in Zimbabwe have implemented this business idea and are earning side income. 

Child care

Working with kids is quite fascinating if you love kids. You can make extra cash by simply providing child care services. While parents are trying to attend meetings, date nights and meet work deadlines you can ease off their burden whilst cashing in on this service all year round. This is a business idea you will love doing if you like children.

Cabbage Farming

There is a very huge demand for cabbages in Zimbabwe and many farmers are making money by farming cabbages. Advantages of farming cabbages in Zimbabwe include: they produce high yields, the local demand is huge, can adapt to a wide range of climates, high profit margins, and need less chemical inputs as compared to other commercial crops.  Read more about starting cabbage farming business plan in Zimbabwe. 

Direct Sales

Social butterflies excel greatly at direct sales. There are many direct sales companies such as Avon. You can take time to research and go through the various products they offer then choose to join a company that offers products you feel are passionate about. Direct sales companies usually offer starter kits at a very discounted amount. Your initial target market should be your family, friends, coworkers and then these will help you build referrals a s you move along. Its an easy job for those with people skills. Add a smile to it. You may be in direct sales through the following products for example:

  • Wine
  • Stylish clothing
  • On Trend jewellery
  • Personalized jewellery
  • Food

Sewing

Are you good at sewing? Then you can put that skill at work and earn a lot of extra income. You have to invest in a sewing machine in order to start this business. You can supply school uniforms to schools, uniforms for companies, organisations etc. Good marketing skills are needed so that you get many customers. You can also target individuals by sewing African attires, trousers, shirts, blousers, curtains, decor material etc. Sewing is a business idea most women will love to do. 

Hairdresser

Take your hairstyling skills home by cutting, coloring and styling client’s hair in the comfort or your home or theirs. If you are good at hair styling then this business idea is for you. 

Consulting

Are you considered an expert in your field? Do you like to assist others? Act as an advisor to others who are in need of your skill and expertise – will require solution based answers.

Advertising

Do you love social media and are a very good blogger? It is much simpler then for you to add advertisements or google Adsense to your blog and social networks. You can also be able to attract the attention of big media companies and get a contract this is only possible if you have high traffic and followers. In the simplest form you may create your own advertising packages and check what competitors or fellow bloggers are charging for the same packages.

Check out  more business ideas and our collection of business plans.  Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to receive notifications of new posts in your email.

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